Part II- Christianity

1. What is the human condition?

In Christianity, humans believe that they were created in the image of God. Christian's believe that God's existence is infinite when it comes to love and justice. God is relational, and is the Trinity of three equal "persons", The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. To understand God's love, Christian's believe that they must follow the 10 Commandments and do their best not to sin. Everyone will sin at some point in their life, but Jesus forgives all sins. Knowing this is very reassuring and comfortable for Christians, as they know they will always be loved. Christians also believe that God is personal to everyone and acts with intention.

2. Where are we going/what is the goal?

Christian's main goal in life is to glorify God and go to heaven after death. Glorifying God would include doing our best to follow the Ten Commandments and doing what we believe Jesus would want us to do. Sinning is a  mistake that everyone makes in their lifetime, but we will always be forgiven. By doing our best to follow these rules and doing our best not to sin, the afterlife would include going to Heaven. Heaven is a continuation of life after death. If God chooses that heaven is not the place for a specific person, the other option is hell, a place where unrepentant sinners go after death. With this said, the ultimate goal of a Christian is to go to heaven.

3. How do we get there?

As said before, the way of getting to heaven is through glorifying God and asking for forgiveness of sins. The Ten Commandments are a way to follow God's ideals for how he wants humans to act. These commandments include, You shall have no other gods before Me, You shall not make idols, You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, Honor your father and your mother, You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor, and You shall not covet. In addition to following these commandments, it is important for Christians to do everything they can to not sin. If they do sin, it is important that they address what they have done wrong and ask for forgiveness.

Theme 4 and 5

Religious Experience:
1. What is the group or individual experience in the faith?
In Christianity, there are major roles in groups, but also as individuals. On Sunday mornings, it is very common for a group of Christians to gather in church to praise God. There are also many different types of praying circles or prayer groups. Being in this environment allows oneself to feel love and feel the benefits of being with people that are possibly going through the same things as them, or have gone through them in the past. As a group, it is everyone's duty to make everyone feel welcome and to pray and worship God together, sharing opinions and discussing various topics. As individuals, we share a lot of the same responsibilities, but also have our personal relationship with God. It is important, as Christians, to pray to God on our own and keep up a good and healthy relationship. As individuals, it is also important that we do everything in our power to help others and to give back to those who are less fortunate. Whether praising God within a group setting or individually, it is always important to be respectful of others and to be open to learning new ideas. Giving back is something that is always important and can be done in a group or by ourselves.

2. What is the role of meditation/worship/prayer?
The role of worship and prayer is to bring oneself closer to God. Prayer is the way that Christians, individually and as part of the assembled church, speaks to God. This can include petition, praise, intercession, and so forth. Prayer is one of the most important aspects to a Christian's life when trying to speak to God. God does not only call us to prayer to take part in his work and to witness the transformations of others, (healing of bodies, the reconciling of relationships, the salvation of the lost, and so forth), He also calls us to pray so that we can be changed. This allows our hearts to become more similar and in sync with His heart. Although at times it may seem that God has not answered our prayers, it may simply be because He has a better plan in mind for us and everything will work out at a later time. Through all of these prayers, its only natural that one becomes closer to God, making that one of the most important relationships you could ever have.


Ethics and Moral Conduct:
What are the core ethical teachings of the religion and what significant interpretations of them exist?
In Christianity, the Bible and the Church are the core teachings. The Bible is used to explore the ideas behind the purpose of God, the truth about God, God's purpose for the earth, who is Jesus, what happens after you die, God's kingdom, suffering, giving, view of a good life, worship, prayer, family, relationships, and love. All of these things contribute greatly to Christianity, as they help to explain what Christians believe in and the reasoning behind certain things. The most important ethical teaching of the bible and of the church is giving back. God and Jesus have done so much for us, that it only seems reasonable to give back as much as we can as a way for saying thank you. During church, the pastor usually goes over these things in a sermon or relates different bible verses to help learn the meaning behind each of these topics. In more simple terms, the core teachings of the bible and of the church is to teach the word of Christ. The Bible is written in many different languages, but the overall message is the same. As one may interpret the Bible differently than others, I believe that everyone receives the same messages when it comes to what is good and what is bad, but the severity and degree of them differ. There are also different interpretations of church, as some churches are very formal and others are very laid back. This doesn't change what the church teaches and I believe that people can attend wherever they want as long as they are in a comfortable environment for them to worship and pray to God.

4/22 Homework

Religion and Violence (pg. 281)

According to the gospels, the main charge against Jesus was that he claimed to be the king of the Jews. The Roman soldiers were mocking this idea when they dressed him in a purple robe and pressed a crown of thorns on his head. This was also the charge written on the sign at the top of the cross, although the charge was false. This had a huge effect on Christianity, as his death saved others from their own sin. Even today, Christians pray to Jesus to thank them for saving them from their sins at the cost of his own life. I personally don’t see this event as happening again in the future, but we could prevent it again by praying to Jesus and God and be as grateful as possible for everything we have.

Study Questions

1.       Christianity began as a sect of Judaism in 1 C.E. at a time of stable government and when the Roman Empire was at its peak. During this time, Augustus Caesar ruled.

2.       Jesus fulfilled the role of being the Messiah by giving sight to the blind, and healing people, and laying down His sinless life on a cross as a substitute for us who have all broken God's laws. He did not fulfill the role by establishing a Kingdom here on earth with Jerusalem as the capital.

3.       The two basic rituals of early Christianity was baptism and Eucharist, or communion meal.

4.       Paul’s epistles, or letters, were likely to have been written first. These letters began in the 50s and 60s of the first century.

5.       Before Constantine, Christians were being killed in the Roman Empire. Constantine saw the population rising and saw a good chance to get more support. With this he encompassed Christianity. In order to get Christianity stronger, he assembled the leaders of the Christians in his area. He then selected which gospels should be assembled into the "Bible". This is similar to Asoka, who, like Constantine, was a convert to a new faith, Buddhism.

6.       The major differences between Eastern Orthodox and Western Christianity was the Patriarch vs Pope, Icons vs Statues, Baptism immersion vs Baptism sprinkling, Greek vs Latin, and the difference of bread and wine and only bread

7.        Several causes of the Reformation include the rise of European nationalism, new learnings of the Renaissance, and the decline of the Papacy.

8.       The Seven Sacraments include baptism, confirmation, penance, Eucharist, extreme unction, marriage, and holy orders.

9.       After the death of Puis XII, John XXII became the Pope. John was determined to revitalize the church and bring it in line with the 20^th century. He called the Second Vatican Council and it affected some of the most dramatic changes ever made in the Catholic Church. One of the most important movements among Christians in the 20^th century was the ecumenical movement.

10.   Liberation theology is a movement in Christian theology, developed mainly by Latin American Roman Catholics, that emphasizes liberation from social, political, and economic oppression as an anticipation of ultimate salvation, while fundamental is a branch of Catholic theology which seeks to establish the fact that God has made a supernatural revelation and established the Catholic Church as its divinely authorized custodian and interpreter.

Sacred Texts & Doctrines and Beliefs

Sacred Text: Bible

Text Authority: I believe that Jesus gives the bible authority, just by the sole fact that Jesus and God are Christian's supreme leaders. As The Old Testament is before Jesus, it is just as powerful and has just as much authority as The New Testament. Although no one knows for sure if these stories are true, the Bible makes some very distinctive truth claims. It claims that God has chosen to communicate with us through His creation and through the Bible. Jesus claimed to be God in the flesh and that the only way for human beings to be saved is through Him.

Interpretation of sacred texts: The Bible is God's word. His word is expressed to us through disciples and through His Son, Jesus. Interpreting God's word is helped with through the aid of The Holy Spirit. As sinners, we cannot always interpret God's word and the Bible correctly all the time.
Links between sacred texts and key figures: The Bible is linked to the main figure of Christianity, Jesus. The bible and Jesus are linked because they both are the word of God. They both explore the idea that God loves all even though humans are sinners and they make mistakes. Jesus was sent to Earth by God to share His word and spread the good news of the Lord, and supreme leader.

Change in interpretation: There are many interpretations to the Bible, as each Christian views it differently, from their own perspective. No one perspective is better than the other, it is whatever a person feels is right and what they feel comfortable believing in.


Doctrines and Beliefs: Resurrection of Christ
Belief: The resurrection of Jesus in the Christian religion is belief that after being put to death to take the punishment deserved by others for the sins of the world, Jesus rose again from the dead.
Eschatology: The eschatology of Jesus is his resurrection. When Jesus first died on the cross, he was buried, just like anybody else that died. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead and descended into Heaven to be with His Father, God Almighty.
Cosmology: Christianity originated when the Roman Empire occupied Jerusalem, a predominantly but not entirely Jewish society, with traditional philosophies distinct from the Classical Greek thought that was more popular at the time. As Christianity became more popular, the stories of Jesus were taught, including his resurrection.
Different Denominations: Christianity has a lot of different denominations, but just about all of them believe in Jesus' resurrection

Do Doctrines unite or divide faith?
I believe that doctrines can both unite and divide faith and those of the same religion. As different denominations of the same religion can believe in different things, it's hard to not have it divide you at times. On the other hand, those that believe in the same thing are often brought together and united under Jesus' name.
How does art express beliefs?
Art expresses beliefs by what you draw or imagine to be true. Many churches have murals or stain glass windows with images of Jesus or other Christian symbols. By having these symbols displayed, it is a clear indication of what that specific church or person believes in and believes to be true.
Link between doctrine and ritual (Easter)
One link between the resurrection and a Christian Ritual is the holiday of Easter. During this time, Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ and is the most important and oldest festival of the Christian Church. It is celebrated between March 21 and April 25, on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the northern spring equinox.

Sacred Texts Excerpts

Matthew 5-7:

1. Meaning of this excerpt: The meaning of these chapters is to display Jesus's sermon on top of the Mount and explains the "Christian materials", including the Beatitudes and the Lord's Prayer.

2. Why is this important/essential to the faith: These chapters of the bible are important to the Christian religion as it provides the Lord's Prayer which is key in Christianity. This prayer is what Jesus taught his disciples when speaking of the order that we should ask for things/the order that we should desire them. 

Romans:

1. Meaning: This excerpt means that everyone is responsible for not sinning and following all instructions and laws that are given to them. This instruction is given to them by God and He holds them responsible for their actions.

2. Importance: The importance of this chapter is to explain human sin. It explains what is bad and the reason behind it. It also explains the punishment for sins and the fact that you will be held responsible for these wrongdoings. Christians believed that Jesus died on the cross to save them from sins.

1 Corinthians:

1. Meaning: The meaning of this chapter is to explain that love is the most important and that Jesus and God work to help everyone love each other and work for this together. Love is needed to endure faith and hope and keep us as pure as possible. 

2. Importance: The importance of this chapter is it shows the relationship between God and his people and shows that He will love you inspite of your sins. It provides relief to all of God's people by them knowing that they will always be loved. "Love bears all things...endures all things".

Taoism Huston Smith Questions

1. I find the Lao Tzu and the Tao the most intriguing part of Taoism. Lao Tzu is known to have created this religion, but was also known to have been born a wise old man after being conceived by a shooting star and in his mother's womb for 82 years. Known as "the Old Boy", Lao Tzu, created the religion with it's bible, The Tao Te Ching. This book is focused on the means of path and the way of ultimate reality. I find this concept hard to understand as taoists believe that the Tao can be spoken, but is not the true Tao, as the idea of the ultimate reality is too much for humans to comprehend. I find this difficult because I don't get how people can practice a religion if the main idea of it is "too much" for an ordinary human being. 

2. My understanding of the Tao is that it is the bible of Taoism. It is the way of ultimate reality and it cannot be perceived as it is "too vast for human rational to fathom". The Tao is the backbone of Taoism, as it is the "ground of all that follows. The Tao is similar to God as it is supreme to all humans and spreads the ideas of this specific religion. It is different than God as it is a written or spoken text, not a supreme being. 

3. Ch'i is vital energy in the religion of Taoism and is used for the energy of life, and the idea of "energy is delight". I do not believe that there is a direct equivalent in the western culture to ch'i, although there are different things to highlight positive energy. Diet, exercise, and health practice affect our own spiritual beings by increasing our ch'i, as these specific things are good. Exercise and health practices help to calm the soul and to meditate and relax. Eating healthy does the same thing as the purpose of them all if to help the body to fully relax and block the bad internal flow. 

4. I do not believe in magic when it comes to astrology, divination, or psychic healing. I believe that the supreme leader aids in these things but that science is the main reason. Magic holds a very special and sacred spot in the religion of Taoism and is understood as a higher power in the visible world. I believe in miracles, but not in magic. 

5. My understanding of Wu Wei is inaction or "do-nothingness". Wu Wei allows one to have a vacant attitude of idleness and brings them closer to meditation and closer to themselves. The mind must be able to relax so that it can let go of negative energy and increase the person ch'i. Personally, creative quietude is nice because it allows the body to fully relax and lose all of the stress and nervousness of a situation. 

6. Yin is a passive, negative force and yang is an active, positive force. Yin is feminine and yang is masculine. I believe that it is a hindrance to talk about these symbols through femininity and masculinity as it brings in stereotypes and negative thoughts toward yin.

7. I believe that all things, good and evil, are related in some way or another. The good comes with the bad. In every situation there is good and there is bad, but sometimes you just have to look for it. I think they are very different but they are defiantly related in the fact that they usually come up at the same time. 

8. I believe that life ventures outward but then comes back to the origins, making the symbol, a circle, non accurate. Maybe a squiggly circle would be better, showing that there may be bumps in the road, but you're always moving forward. 

9. I think that most religions want you to be able to laugh and be lighthearted on different topics. Taoism is definitely the religion that highlights this concept the most, although it is important in every religion to venture out and take yourself outside the box. 

Fieldtrip Reflection

The first place that we visited on our fieldtrip was an Islamic Center. This center was interesting because not only was it a place for worship, it was also a school for kids in preschool up until 8^th grade. In the school, the kids learn the same curriculum as public school, but have extra classes that deal with learning the religion and the Koran. We got to listen to different children speak about the school, about the Islam religion, and recite portions of the Koran that they have memorized. One thing I found interesting was that every time they said “Muhammad”, they followed it with “peace and blessings be upon him”. In Christianity, we do not do this when we say “Jesus”, so this was a neat part of their religion. Everybody here was very nice and it was my favorite stop of the day.

The second place we went was a Buddhist Temple. When we first walked in, there was a gift shop, which I was not expecting, but it was very colorful and inviting. We then went back to the worship room where there were pillows on the floor. As we sat on the floor, we were taught by Tibetan Buddhists about the culture, traditions, and background of Buddhism. I learned about the story of the Dalai Lama, prayer flags, the spinning prayer wheel, and the Stupa. The stupa was my favorite as we walked around it to receive positive energy.

The third stop on our trip was the Hindu Temple. The outside of the building was beautiful as there was so much detail in every piece. There were many different entrances and smaller buildings that surrounded the main building, that I found to be a lot smaller on the inside than it looked on the outside. As we walked in, we were hit with a variety of different strong smells. I was surprised at how formal it was and how many of the people did not like for us to be there as they prayed. I learned about the different traditions that this specific temple does and the reasoning behind different clothing items that the men and women wear.

The fourth and final stop was to a Jewish Synagogue. I had been to this Synagogue before for a friend’s Bat Mitzvah. I loved how relaxed it was and how upbeat and entertaining the Rabi was. I learned how Christians’ views on the bible may be slightly different, as the bible was translated to English. I also learned about the personal struggles that Jews may have now and struggles they faced in the past. I enjoyed the personal interaction and stories that the Rabi told and thought that it was a very friendly and inviting environment.

I overall enjoyed this fieldtrip a lot, as it opened my eyes to how different religions worship and practice in our community.